Mountain Pyrenees
From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, the GR10 crosses the entire French Pyrenees, from the Basque Country to the Côte Vermeille, one pass after another.
From Hendaye to Banyuls-sur-Mer, over 926 km.
The GR10 links the Atlantic to the Mediterranean while staying on the French side of the range. It starts in Hendaye, on the Spanish border, and ends in Banyuls-sur-Mer, on the Côte Vermeille, after crossing five departments: Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Ariège and Pyrénées-Orientales.
The trail does not follow the ridges: it goes from one valley to the next over a succession of passes, which means a long climb followed by a long descent almost every day. The scenery changes constantly. The green hills and villages of the Basque Country, Lescun and the Pic d’Anie in Béarn, then the Pyrenees National Park with the Lac de Gaube and Gavarnie, the Lac d’Oô in the Luchonnais, the summer pastures and forests of the Ariège, and finally the Carlit massif and the slopes of the Canigou before the descent to the sea. You may come across griffon vultures, bearded vultures and capercaillie.
The crossing of the Ariège, largely within the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Regional Nature Park, is the wildest section: villages are further apart, you need to carry several days’ food and sometimes sleep in a hut or in a tent. This is the part that calls for the most careful preparation.
The GR10 is for hikers in good physical shape, at ease in the mountains and able to walk day after day. It can be done in one go or in sections: MonGR suggests several sections of a few days, for example between Cauterets and Luz-Saint-Sauveur or between Mérens-les-Vals and Bolquère.
Hendaye
Hendaye station is served by TGVs, including OUIGO, from Paris and Bordeaux, and by TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine trains from Bayonne, Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The Basque Euskotren train (Topo line) also links it to Irun and San Sebastián.
Banyuls-sur-Mer
Banyuls-sur-Mer has a TER station on the coastal line between Perpignan and Cerbère, with direct trains to Perpignan.
MonGR gives a season from June to October, late June being the most favourable thanks to the long days and the wild flowers. Some passes stay under snow until late: early in the season, check with the PGHM or refuge wardens.
Hard
No mountaineering, but a series of climbs and descents to high mountain passes (the Hourquette d’Arre reaches 2,465 m) and remote sections in the Ariège that demand self-sufficiency and experience.
43 refuges, 49 gîtes, 87 unstaffed huts and 43 B&Bs
The route alternates between refuges, gîtes, B&Bs, hotels and campsites. In the Ariège, some stages end at an unstaffed hut or in a tent. In summer, it is best to book staffed refuges and gîtes in advance.
In the core zone of the Pyrenees National Park, bivouacking is only allowed between 7 pm and 9 am, more than an hour’s walk from a road or from the boundaries of the core zone; camping, fires, picking plants and swimming in the lakes are forbidden there, and dogs are not allowed, even on a lead. Temporary closures can also affect the trail: in August 2026, a prefectoral order closed the section in the Ariège between the bottom of the Étangs de Bassiès and the hamlet of Toutous, in Marc, following a fire, with a diversion via the Saleix valley and Auzat.
You can stock up in the villages and resorts along the way. The Ariège section, the most remote, means carrying several days’ water and food; taxis can help you reach a village to resupply.
TrekGR stage plan: each stage ends where you can sleep. Actual walking time excluding breaks (DIN 33466 standard).
385 places to stay near the route, from refuges to campsites.
No current alerts for this GR (checked on 12 November 2026). All live updates →
Yes, but in the core zone of the Pyrenees National Park, bivouacking is only allowed between 7 pm and 9 am and more than an hour’s walk from a road or from the boundaries of the core zone. Camping and fires are forbidden there.
Dogs are not allowed in the core zone of the Pyrenees National Park, even on a lead. The GR10 crosses this zone in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées, so you will need to have your dog looked after or bypass those stages.
MonGR recommends June to October, with a preference for late June. Early in the season, some passes are still under snow: check with the PGHM or refuge wardens.
In summer, booking staffed refuges and gîtes is strongly recommended. In the Ariège, you should also plan for nights in unstaffed huts or in a tent.
Yes. Many places along the route are served by public transport, and MonGR suggests sections of a few days, such as Cauterets – Luz-Saint-Sauveur or Mérens-les-Vals – Bolquère.
Hendaye is served by TGVs from Paris and Bordeaux and by TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional trains. Banyuls-sur-Mer has a TER station with direct trains to Perpignan.
Route: OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: IGN’s RGE ALTI®, one point every 50 m. Text checked on 10 November 2026.
